Reforming the financing of health system in Turkmenistan

The meeting was hosted  by  the Ministry of Health ad Medical Industry of Turkmenistan and engaged the representatives of WHO, World Bank, UNDP, UNICEF, UNFPA, IOM and national partners including the Ministry of Finance and Economy, Mejlis, State Bank for Foreign Economic Affairs and State Insurance Company.

The participants discussed  the basic  principles of the health financing  to ensure universal health coverage, lessons learned from the experience in Europe and Central Asia region in implementing health financing reform, as the role investment in health and nutrition of children, and overall principles of the  public finance management, including results-based budgeting and mid-term expenditure framework that were presented by the UN representatives.

“The UN system in Turkmenistan is ready to support Turkmenistan in the further development and strengthening of the national health system with a focus on universal health coverage, as well as in developing health financing policies and building capacity,” noted Ms. Elena Panova, UN Resident Coordinator in Turkmenistan.

It was agreed to establish the Working group on reforming the health system, which will analyze reform’s priorities and build base for future policy changes in the area of health sector financing.